The present invention relates generally to incubators and more particularly to humidity sensors for incubators controlling the humidity of the air within the hood.
It is known to control both the temperature and relative humidity of the air adjacent an infant in an incubator, i.e. the air within the hood. Thermistors for sensing temperature and humidity sensors for sensing relative humidity are known and have been used to provide control signals to controllers for controlling the temperature and relative humidity of the air adjacent an infant in an incubator.
It has been found that when air is drawn from the hood of an incubator past a humidity sensor that the temperature of the air adjacent the humidity sensor may differ significantly from the temperature of the air within the hood of the incubator. Relative humidity is highly temperature sensitive. Thus, when a relative humidity sensor is positioned in locations other than within the hood of the incubator, the sensed relative humidity may be substantially different than the actual relative humidity within the hood of the incubator.
The disclosed humidity sensor correlates the sensed relative humidity to provide a more accurate representation of the relative humidity in the hood.
In an illustrative embodiment, a temperature and humidity sensing module for an infant care enclosure has a portal for receiving air from the enclosure. A primary temperature sensor senses the air received in the module. A humidity sensor is disposed in the module to sense the humidity of the air received therein, and a second temperature sensor within the module determines the temperature of the air at the point the humidity of the air is sensed.
Illustratively, a method for determining the humidity of the air at the position an infant rests in an enclosure is provided, the method comprises the steps of drawing air from the enclosure past a humidity sensor spaced apart from the infant, sensing the temperature of the air drawn from the enclosure, sensing the temperature of the air adjacent the humidity sensor, and correlating the temperature sensed and humidity sensed to determine the humidity adjacent the infant.
Additional features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.